Aye Bogeyman
The Russian Space Agency is arguably the leader in terms of sheer number of launches - they even launch some Sats for ESA in Bakinour via their Vostock Launcher - very simple in its design yet very effective.
Also the Russians do not use any booster jets for the seperation of the RocketStages - incredibly its all done by the gyrations of the Rocket itself.
ESA typically use French Arriane rockets from their SpacePort in Kourou in South America - they have a good record but are not immune from failure either.
Shame about NASA as this satellite was dedicated to monitoing Global Warming, hopefully ESAs next launch in Mid-April will be a success as it launches the largest ever infraRed (Herschel) and microwave SpaceTelescopes (Planck)- two spacecraft on the one Arriane rocket launch .
These exciting Space Telescopes , twenty years in the design - far exceeds the capablities of the Hubble Telescope , the Planck SpaceTelescope itself will reveal the state of the Universe at Big Bang , 14 Billion years ago - by creating a Map of the Cosmic Background Radiation thus answering many of the cosmological questions as to the Birth of the Universe - and its Ending.
Finally an illuminating article from last months Forbes as to why NASA are finding it more difficult to obtain the very top talent... as BM was curious as to why this may be so.
May the Cosmos be with You
http://www.forbes.com/2006/01/18/spa...rtner=yahootix
The Russian Space Agency is arguably the leader in terms of sheer number of launches - they even launch some Sats for ESA in Bakinour via their Vostock Launcher - very simple in its design yet very effective.
Also the Russians do not use any booster jets for the seperation of the RocketStages - incredibly its all done by the gyrations of the Rocket itself.
ESA typically use French Arriane rockets from their SpacePort in Kourou in South America - they have a good record but are not immune from failure either.
Shame about NASA as this satellite was dedicated to monitoing Global Warming, hopefully ESAs next launch in Mid-April will be a success as it launches the largest ever infraRed (Herschel) and microwave SpaceTelescopes (Planck)- two spacecraft on the one Arriane rocket launch .
These exciting Space Telescopes , twenty years in the design - far exceeds the capablities of the Hubble Telescope , the Planck SpaceTelescope itself will reveal the state of the Universe at Big Bang , 14 Billion years ago - by creating a Map of the Cosmic Background Radiation thus answering many of the cosmological questions as to the Birth of the Universe - and its Ending.
Finally an illuminating article from last months Forbes as to why NASA are finding it more difficult to obtain the very top talent... as BM was curious as to why this may be so.
May the Cosmos be with You
http://www.forbes.com/2006/01/18/spa...rtner=yahootix
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